Election 2012: Micozzie, Bonner battle for 163rd too close to call

Democratic challenger Sheamus Bonner's bid to unseat 17-term incumbent Nick Micozzie in the 163rd District came close to fruition late Tuesday, but the race was too close to call. As of 11:30 p.m., Micozzie lead Bonner by a 119-vote margin with several precincts yet to report.

Bolstered by a strong showing in Lansdowne Borough, where he out-gained Micozzie by 2,278 votes, Bonner kept the race close into the night. Micozzie held leads in the Upper Darby, Clifton Heights, Ridley, Darby Township and Aldan portions of the 163rd District, which he has served since 1979.

At about 10:30 p.m., Micozzie released a statement claiming victory, but Bonner declined to comment about an hour later because all of the ballots hadn't been counted yet. Delaware County Democratic Party Chairman David Landau said that with the race so close, he believed that absentee and provisional ballots could make the difference for Bonner.

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"It's too close to call," Landau said late Tuesday. "We're still optimistic that Sheamus will prevail in the race."

Micozzie, 83, lives in the Hilldale section of Upper Darby Township, and has resided in Upper Darby for more than 50 years. He graduated from St. Thomas More High School in Philadelphia and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Saint Joseph's College. He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and worked for General Electric in the aerospace division. He also owned a real estate company for 11 years with his daughter. He served as an Upper Darby Township councilman from 1971 until 1989. Micozzie ran unopposed in April's primary election.

Bonner, 39, lives in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby Township, and previously resided in the Briarcliffe section of Darby Township. He graduated from West Catholic High School in Philadelphia and earned a finance degree from Strayer University. He served in the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, and has spent more than 20 years in the military. He currently serves in the Army Reserve. He works as a corrections officer and has taken leave in order to run for office. He has never held elected office before. Bonner defeated opponent Robert Cassidy by almost 1,200 votes in April's Democratic primary election.

Landau said that absentee and provisional ballots would be counted on Thursday morning, and he believed that throughout the county, Democrats had as large as a 2 to 1 advantage.

Micozzie held a lead of 1010 votes in Aldan, 672 votes in Darby Township, 610 votes in Ridley Township, 249 votes in Clifton Heights and 765 votes in Upper Darby Township. Bonner's 3,974 votes in Lansdowne gave him a 2,278-vote lead there. Three machines had yet to be reported as of deadline Tuesday night, with as many as 750 votes to be counted.

Micozzie is just the third person to represent the 163rd District since 1969. He was elected to the seat in 1979, succeeding Democrat Joseph T. Doyle. He most recently defended the seat against Democratic challenger Shannon Meehan in 2010, winning by a margin of 3,400 votes.